


Picking Up the Pieces

by kaitou (CynicalMistrust)



Series: Seducing the Moon [1]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Heavy Angst, M/M, Making Out, Praise Kink, Stolen Kisses, Switch Mishima
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-06-04 17:50:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15152462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CynicalMistrust/pseuds/kaitou
Summary: What was wrong with him? Ren was barely afriend, he didn't need to complicate things further by addingfeelingsto this.Thankfully, Ren didn't seem to notice. Then again, it was hard to tell how much he actually paid attention to, since he seemed to space out in class, yet always answered questions correctly. If not for Ryuji, he would have assumed all of the Kaitou had high levels of observation and reasoning, though he supposed poor anger management and brute force had their own merits.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm mad at the lack of Ren x Mishima fics, so enjoy my contribution. I have a feeling this is going to be like my other OTPs and may result in a series... x.x
> 
> And yeah, I changed the title...

Yuuki stared at his phone, open to a blank message screen to Ren. He'd tapped out a dozen variations of _Can we meet?_ over the past twenty minutes, only to delete them each time. He didn't have any new info to offer from the Phan-site, and things were quiet for the moment, so there was no reason to bother him. Right? It was presumptuous to think they were friends, that any of the Kaitou even knew he existed outside of what he provided for their missions. He was just a victim they'd helped save.

He didn't want to continue just being a victim, he refused to ever go through anything like that ever again, but sometimes he felt like he was drowning. He was invisible to most of the world. Even his own parents had blatantly ignored his bruises and injuries. Or, more likely, they saw them clearly and just... didn't care.

He was past the point of that knowledge hurting. It was just how things were. There was no point in dwelling on it. So why was he dwelling on it? Why should it matter so much that Ren had actually _looked_ at him like he existed? That even if Ren didn't always answer his texts, he knew they'd at least been read?

He didn't want to jeopardize that by trying to cross a line, by assuming it meant anything, but...

_Can we meet up?_

He hit send before he fully realized he'd typed the message again, squeezing his eyes shut against the mortification. Maybe Ren was busy and that would be that. No harm done.

He tossed his phone aside, pressing his face into his pillow with a heartfelt groan. He went still when his phone buzzed a minute later, hesitantly picking it up to check it.

**I'm studying**

And then, a moment later, **Want to come over?**

His heart skipped a beat as he stared at the messages, licking his lips before replying, _Okay._

Half an hour later, he was standing at the entrance to _Le Blanc,_ cursing himself for getting himself into this mess. He should have just gone to bed. Sleeping always seemed to help a little, enough to get him through another few days without contemplating what a shithole his life really was.

He backed up a step, almost convinced he should just go back home, when the door opened and a man stepped out.

“Sorry, I'm just closing up,” the man said.

“Oh, I wasn't- I mean... Is Amamiya here?” he asked.

The man eyed him. “Friend, huh?” he asked, seeming almost pleased. “He's inside.” And then he was walking away without locking the door.

Yuuki watched him go before turning back to the café, taking a deep breath before going inside. He spotted Ren at a booth, hunched over some notebooks, but he looked up when the door closed.

“Hey,” Ren said, closing his books and slipping them into his bag.

“Hey,” he replied, moving to the booth, but Ren stood before he could sit.

“Let's go upstairs.” Ren locked the door and took care of the lights before leading the way up the stairs. “Did you find a new target?”

Yuuki winced, shoving his hands into his pockets. “No... everything has been pretty quiet the past few days.”

Ren didn't seem particularly surprised by that, but then he didn't seem surprised by many things in general. He set his bag aside, shedding his blazer and sitting in the chair at his desk. He didn't say anything else, but he looked at Yuuki expectantly.

Yuuki swallowed, looking around the room to stall, unsure what he should say, what he even wanted to say, but the room was... more barren than he expected. The only thing even close to a personal touch was the handful of knickknacks on the shelves. “Um... I didn't really have a reason to meet, I just...” _don't want to be alone._ He trailed off with a shrug, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets as he risked a look towards Ren.

Ren tilted his head, his expression almost seeming to soften before he nodded. “Want to watch a movie?”

His shoulders sagged in relief as he nodded. Movies meant he didn't have to talk, didn't have to think, didn't have to feel. He set his shoes aside and got comfortable on the sofa as Ren went down to the café, returning with popcorn, coffee, and soda. There was no school tomorrow, so he indulged in some coffee, surprised when it tasted sweet from cream and sugar. A warmth of pleasure made itself home in his chest as he savored the entire cup. 

The movie was interesting enough to keep his attention, but he was more focused on Ren sitting next to him. He fought down a flush when their hands brushed reaching for more popcorn at the same time. What was wrong with him? Ren was barely a _friend_ , he didn't need to complicate things further by adding _feelings_ to this.

Thankfully, Ren didn't seem to notice. Then again, it was hard to tell how much he actually paid attention to, since he seemed to space out in class, yet always answered questions correctly. If not for Ryuji, he would have assumed all of the Kaitou had high levels of observation and reasoning, though he supposed poor anger management and brute force had their own merits.

When the movie ended, Ren put another in without comment, and Yuuki relaxed, despite the way Ren’s cat definitely seemed to protest. And then he opened his stupid mouth. “I might end up sleeping here if you keep putting movies on.”

Ren shrugged as he settled on the sofa again, their legs brushing as he stretched out. “I don't mind.”

Yuuki flushed, though from the comment or the touch, he wasn't sure. Probably both. He slumped into the sofa, the coffee failing him halfway through. His eyes grew heavier and his head lulled to the back of the sofa. He tried to stay awake and at least listen to the movie, and succeeded to some extent, but eventually he passed out.

He woke up late into the night, stretched out on the sofa with a blanket around him. If he squinted hard enough, he could just make out Ren’s form on the bed. He should leave and go back home, but it wasn't like anyone would be missing him. And it was late enough the trains wouldn't be running anymore.

He tugged the blanket up to his shoulders and went back to sleep.

The next time he woke, it was just past dawn and Ren was still asleep. He pushed up with a yawn, running a hand through the mess of his hair. He sat staring at his shoes for what seemed like an hour before finally pulling them on. He folded the blanket and left it on the sofa before making his escape.

He made it to the station before his phone went off.

**When did you leave?**

He winced, fingers hovering over his keyboard. He shouldn't lie, but he wasn't really sure why he'd bolted.

_A bit ago. Sorry, didn't want to wake you._

It wasn't a complete lie. Ren had enough going on, he needed what rest he could get. The sleep and company had helped; he no longer felt like he was drowning, merely standing in the shallows as the tide went out. He slipped his phone into his pocket, ignoring it as it buzzed again. He'd taken up enough of Ren’s time, the Kaitou leader surely had more important things to take care of, and he needed to get back to sifting through the new posts on the phan-site.

It took four days before his mood crashed again, and he knew it was in part due to his failure to find a good target for the others. What he didn't expect was for Ren to notice, much less to drag him to the diner after school.

It was strange, being noticed. Especially when it wasn't related to him contributing to the missions. It made his throat ache, and he hated himself for being so weak. Weakness was what got him into the mess with Kamoshida to begin with, and here he was being saved. Again. By the same guy who mistakenly thought he was worth saving.

“You're not a failure just because you go a week without finding a target, you know,” Ren said, his voice quiet and almost muffled by the heavy rain lashing the window next to them.

Yuuki startled as the words sank deep and seemed to ease something inside him. He blinked at his remaining fries and hesitantly looked up to meet Ren’s gaze. Somehow, the usual calm expression seemed almost... gentle. He swallowed hard and nodded, finding it easier to smile than he had in days. “Thanks.”

Ren nodded, and even though he wasn't much of a conversationalist, Yuuki found it easy to talk with him. They ended up staying till dark, Ren ordering an unholy amount of coffee, until Yuuki wondered how the hell he was going to sleep that night.

That was answered when he ended up back at Ren’s for the evening, settled next to him on the sofa for another movie. He didn't even last half an hour, waking sometime towards the end to find he'd slumped into Ren’s side and was drooling on his shoulder. He sat up with a start, swiping at his mouth as his face burned red, mumbling an apology that fell on deaf ears.

Ren was dead asleep, somehow, glasses balanced precariously on the end of his nose where his head hung forward.

Yuuki grinned, unable to help it. There was something endearing about someone trusting him enough to sleep in his presence. He reached out and carefully pulled the glasses free, folding the arms before setting them on the desk, within easy reach. He snatched the blanket from the bed, gently tucking it around Ren and adjusting him so he might have less of a crick in his neck upon waking.

He couldn't quite resist brushing his fingers through the dark hair, pleased to find it was even softer than it looked. He lingered a moment, enjoying the chance to just look without being caught, and before he knew it, he was leaning down and stealing a quick, chaste kiss.

Face crimson, he snatched his shoes and escaped down the stairs, only pulling them on when he was outside and sucking in deep breaths of warm air. He mentally berated himself the entire trek home, though his fingers never left his tingling lips.


	2. Chapter 2

It became a kind of ritual over the next several weeks. Sometimes they grabbed dinner, or studied together in the diner on rainy days. Sometimes they went back to Ren’s place for a movie. Yuuki started texting more, occasionally about things unrelated to the phan-site, though it remained his top priority.

When he did finally score a target for the team, it was while sitting on Ren’s bed, munching his way through a box of chocolate pocky, while Ren fiddled with making things at his desk. “Got ya!” he crowed, grinning at Ren when he turned, for once looking as close to surprised as he was likely to get.

“Found you a target,” he said, holding his phone up.

Ren moved to the bed so he could see, leaning in close and lightly holding the phone with Yuuki to read the post. The target was an employer who overworked his employees and docked their pay if they didn't complete their shifts. On top of that, he went on yelling sprees, berating them for the smallest mistake.

Yuuki held still as Ren read, tilting his head closer to catch the scent of Ren’s shampoo. It smelled earthy and a bit like... coconut? He couldn't hide his grin and didn't even try to. It could at least be played off as excitement for scoring them a job.

The victory was made all the sweeter when Ren looked up with an actual smile. “Good job.”

His breath caught in his throat, his eyes widening as those two simple words zinged down his spine, pooling as warmth in his gut. _Oh._ So that's what that felt like.

Ren tilted his head, a slight frown tugging at his lips before it cleared with recognition, and Yuuki felt equal parts mortified dread and curiosity at the thought of Ren knowing exactly how those words affected him. Ren seemed to actually hesitate, before the hand that still lingered on Yuuki’s phone slid over his fingers, until they settled on his wrist.

Yuuki swallowed, feeling heat in his face as his heart tried valiantly to beat its way out of his chest. What was Ren _doing?_ This wasn't how things were supposed to go. They were just friends, and he could accept that. Just having someone who didn't mind spending time with him, who let him come over when he needed an escape, was more than he could ever ask for.

“You can call me Ren, you know,” Ren said, voice soft, his face only a few inches away.

Yuuki’s heart skipped a beat, his face growing hotter. “W-wha- where's that coming from?” He felt trapped, glancing towards the stairs, but he knew he wouldn't run. Running was a sign of weakness, and he wasn't going to be weak.

Ren tilted his head, his thumb rubbing a gentle circle against the inside of Yuuki’s wrist. “I've been thinking it for a while, considering how close we've gotten.” He paused, fingers loosening without letting go completely. “Do you not-”

“I do,” he said, too quickly, but there was no going back now. “I um... You can call me Yuuki... if you want,” he added softly, feeling lightheaded and breathless. Ren was close enough he could feel the warmth of Ren’s breaths on his cheeks, though he couldn't bring himself to meet Ren’s eyes. He shivered as the fingers on his wrist tightened, the grip firm and bordering on possessive.

“Good boy,” Ren whispered.

Yuuki shuddered, eyes fluttering shut with a quiet whimper. His fingers went slack, his phone clattering to the floor, but he hardly noticed, too caught up in the teasing touch of Ren’s lips on his ear. “R-Ren...”

Ren hummed in approval, squeezing Yuuki’s wrist. “You're a good boy, Yuuki,” he murmured, voice still soft, his lips brushing Yuuki’s ear with each word.

His breathing stuttered as the warmth in his gut turned into a tight ache in his chest. He shook his head, tugging at his wrist and fighting back a sob as Ren held fast. “I'm not-”

“You are,” Ren said, the growl in his voice shutting down the rest of Yuuki’s arguments. He shifted without letting go, and Yuuki yelped as he found himself pushed down on the bed.

His eyes flew open as his back hit the futon, his wrist pinned above his head, Ren looking down at him with an expression he was more likely to use on his targets. He swallowed a whimper, staring at Ren’s chest where it was safer.

Ren let out a slow breath, settling beside Yuuki instead of straddling him, though his fingers never left Yuuki’s wrist. “You're important to our team.”

Yuuki’s chest constricted further, eyes stinging as he shook his head. It didn't matter how much he wanted to hear those words, he knew they weren't true. He hardly did anything. The Kaitou were the ones who did all the work.

“You are,” Ren said, voice firm, his thumb resuming the gentle circles against Yuuki’s delicate flesh. “It doesn't matter how long it takes to find a target. What matters is when you find one, it's never false. You help keep our motives pure. You help... keep me balanced,” he added softly.

Yuuki choked back a sob as he pressed himself into Ren’s chest, clutching the front of his shirt with both hands when Ren released his grip. He hardly noticed the arms around his back or the fingers in his hair. Not until minutes later, after he'd made a mess of Ren’s shirt, keeping his face buried as he sniffled and tried to reclaim some of his dignity.

Ren kept quiet, fingers stroking his hair with slow, soothing movements. Like he was petting a cat.

Yuuki tried not to laugh, but the emotional release left him giddy and he chuckled against Ren’s chest. He pulled back enough to scrub his face with the inside of his shirt before peeking up at Ren. When the fingers didn't stop stroking, he relaxed, resting his head against Ren’s shoulder.

The silence wasn't awkward like he'd feared it would be. They were still friends. Honestly, he was surprised he hadn't had a breakdown before now, with everything that had happened the past months. “I don't think anyone's ever said that to me before,” he murmured, his voice muddled with lingering tears.

Ren hummed, curling his fingers and giving a gentle tug on Yuuki’s short hair.

He sighed, relishing the sensation and the tingles that came with it. He pressed closer, a soft gasp escaping each time Ren’s fingers tightened and tugged. His eyes fluttered closed again, cheeks growing warm when he felt Ren’s nose brush against his ear. That was... definitely not just a friendly touch.

The flick of a tongue had him gasping and jerking back, staring at Ren with wide eyes. “Ren?”

Ren tilted his head, raising an eyebrow. “Do you want me to stop?”

Yuuki swallowed, licking his lips as he tried to comprehend exactly what Ren was doing. “That... probably depends on what you're doing.”

“Well... I was thinking of kissing you, but now I think you might punch me.”

This entire day was turning into an emotional rollercoaster and he wasn't sure his heart could take much more of it. He was sure he was gaping like a fish, and it took several attempts before he managed to speak, hating how his voice came out with a squeak. “Do you always kiss your friends like that?”

Ren eyed him with a slight frown. “You're not a friend.”

Yuuki flinched despite himself, looking away as he pulled back. Well, there was his answer to that. He tried to push himself up as his eyes stung again, tensing as Ren planted a hand on his chest to keep him in place.

“Yuuki. I'm... That came out wrong. I meant you're... not _just_ a friend...” Ren sighed, pulling his hand away and running it through his hair. When Yuuki dared look up at him, he looked frustrated. “I... thought we were... dating.”

Yuuki was going to die of heart failure, and it would be utterly and completely Ren’s fault. His brain couldn't quite come to terms with so many information bombs so quickly, and he was left gaping like a damn fish again.

Dating. Ren thought they'd been dating. Ren thought they _were dating._ He couldn't stop the laugh that built in his chest, too flabbergasted to think straight let alone speak.

The dismayed look Ren gave him only set the soft giggles off into laughter. He covered his face with his arms, rolling onto his side so he couldn't see Ren’s face. And then he was crying, because Ren had thought they were dating this entire time, and he'd been trying to just be friends so he wouldn't screw everything up. And then he laughed again, because honestly, how ridiculous could they both be?

Ren huffed and stretched out behind him, pressing close and dropping an arm over Yuuki’s chest. “Are you done freaking out?”

Yuuki sucked in several deep breaths to calm himself, nodding as he rubbed at his eyes. He grinned, peeking back at Ren, his fingers finding the ones on his chest and threading them together. “So, how long have we been dating?”

Ren shrugged, propping his chin on Yuuki’s shoulder. “Since I took you to that crepe place you'd been wanting to go to?”

He flushed as he recalled that day. He'd felt daring enough to offer Ren a bite of his crepe and hadn't been able to believe when he'd bitten right into it. It'd been the closest to an indirect kiss he expected he'd ever get from the Kaitou leader. “O-oh.” Now that he thought about it, that actually explained a lot of the past weeks.

He let out a slow breath, leaning back into Ren’s chest. “In that case, I think we're long overdue for a first kiss...” He felt Ren’s smile against his neck, his heart skipping a beat as Ren pressed a trail of light kisses up to his ear and across his jaw. His fingers tightened on Ren’s as he turned his head, tipping it back as Ren’s lips hovered just above his own.

“This isn't a first kiss, you know,” Ren murmured, lips just shy of brushing Yuuki’s as he spoke.

Yuuki blinked, so focused on wanting to feel Ren kiss him properly he didn't process the words immediately. “What do you mean?”

Ren raised an eyebrow, something close to a smirk forming in his expression. “Are you saying you don't remember kissing me when you thought I was asleep?”

He blinked again, eyes going wide as his face turned crimson. Oh gods. _Oh gods_. That'd been _weeks_ ago! And Ren had known what he'd done all this time?! “You jerk!” He punched Ren’s shoulder before pressing his face into the pillow with a groan.

Ren chuckled, shifting his weight so he was stretched out against Yuuki’s back, effectively pinning him to the bed. He grasped Yuuki’s wrists and moved them up over his head, pinning them with one hand.

Yuuki squirmed, lifting his head with a gasp, flexing his wrists without really trying to get free. “Ren, what-”

Ren nuzzled against his ear, teeth scraping lightly against the lobe. “Be a good boy for me, Yuuki,” he purred.

Yuuki whimpered, closing his eyes as an intense shiver went down his spine. “Okay,” he whispered.

Ren hummed softly in approval and lifted his weight. “Roll over.”

He sucked in a breath, biting his lip before squirming onto his back. Ren made a point not to let go of his wrists and he tried hard to keep from pulling free of his grasp. He slumped onto his back when he made it, making a couple aborted attempts to reach for his shirt where it had ridden up, exposing his stomach.

Ren squeezed his wrists, settling his weight on Yuuki’s thighs and pressing a kiss to his collarbone. “Good boy.”

Yuuki moaned as the praise warmed him through, pooling in his gut again. He jumped at the cool touch of Ren’s hand on his stomach, fighting against a whine at the fact Ren _wasn't kissing him._

 _“Ren,”_ he grumbled, glaring at Ren as best he could when he looked up. “Are you going to kiss me or not?”

“Impatient,” Ren said, moving his lips along Yuuki’s jaw.

“Tease,” he shot back, gasping when Ren nipped at his lower lip. He stared up at Ren, flexing his wrists as Ren leaned down and finally, _finally,_ kissed him.

It was slow and sweet, and he opened up readily beneath the gentle press of Ren’s tongue. He moaned into the sensation, melting beneath Ren and tilting his head as he tried to find the best angle.

He wasn't sure when Ren released his wrists, or when they ended up on their sides, only that when they broke apart to breathe, their hands were tangled in each other's hair.

He grinned as he pressed his nose against Ren’s, relishing the feel of soft hair through his fingers. “That was nice.”

Ren hummed, brushing their lips together again and slipping his tongue inside. “You taste like chocolate.”

Yuuki flushed, nipping at Ren’s lips. “Do you like it?”

“Mmhmm.” Ren smiled, lightly tugging at Yuuki’s hair.

He closed his eyes with a soft moan, fingers curling tighter in Ren’s hair in return. “Feels good...” He smiled as warm lips kissed their way across his cheek before finding his own lips again.

He slipped his tongue past Ren’s lips, hesitantly flicking inside to explore. It wasn't until Ren shifted to his back, pulling Yuuki on top of him, that he started to believe this was real. That there was something more than just friendship between them. That Ren wanted him as much as he wanted Ren.

Yuuki hooked a leg over Ren’s hip to straddle him, sitting back to look down at him, noting the hint of pink in his cheeks and kiss-swollen lips.

Ren didn't look bothered at being trapped, but that was likely because they both knew if Ren wanted to get free, Yuuki wouldn't be able to stop him. Still...

He grasped Ren’s wrists, stretching over him to pin them above his head. There was a thrill to being in control like this, a sense of... being powerful. He had the leader of the Kaitou stretched out beneath him, at his mercy. Submitting to him.

He licked his lips, aware of Ren watching him. He slid his hands down Ren’s arms, smiling when he kept his hands in place. “Mmm, this is nice too.”

“Does that mean you'll kiss me sometime soon?”

Yuuki laughed, resting his hands on Ren’s chest. “Now who’s impatient?” He leaned down anyway, bumping their noses together before crushing his lips against Ren’s. It wasn't as slow or gentle as the first, and he winced as their teeth clicked, but he didn't dare pull back or he'd lose his nerve.

He slipped his tongue past Ren’s lips again, moving both hands up to rest on his face, stroking Ren’s cheeks with his thumbs. A soft purr built in his throat as he tasted Ren, pushing his tongue in as Ren sucked on it, and where had he learned to do _that_?

Yuuki pulled back, licking his lips and sliding his fingers into Ren’s hair, mussing it. He grinned at the disheveled look that completely ruined the attempted glare. “You look good like that.”

Ren raised an eyebrow. The following smirk was Yuuki’s only warning before Ren shifted in a move that was surely inhuman, toppling him off and back to the bed. And then he proved just how _evil_ he was, as his fingers sought out Yuuki’s sides and tickled.

“No!” Yuuki thrashed as he tried to get away, devolving into loud yells and shrieks of laughter, until a banging on the stairs reminded them it was still business hours downstairs.

He clamped his hands over his mouth, snickering at Ren’s put-out look. He wrapped his arms around Ren as they stretched out on the bed, cuddling and lazily making out as he tried not to doze, and really, despite the emotional rollercoaster, it was one of the best days of his life.


End file.
